Manufacturing condensation products from phenol. formaldehyde, and the like.



the various arts. Such products are formed tha, its distillates or other hydrocarbon oils,

'KONSTANTIN TARASSOFF, or MOSCOW, nUssIA.

MANUFACTURING CONDENSATION PRODUCTS FROM PHENOL, FORMALDEHYDE, AND

Specificatiers Patent. I Patented Ffillll. 2Q, 1917.

THE LIKE,

No Drawing. Application filed February 21, 1914. Serial No. 820,304.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KoNs'rAN'rIN TARAssorr, a S11b]BCl3 of the Czar of Russia, and

residing at Moscow, Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Manufacturing Condensation Products from- ]Phenol, Formaldehyde, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to the manufacture of condensation products. from phenol, formaldehyde and the like.

It is already known that, when formaldehyde or its polymers are allowed to act on phenol or its homologues, hard, resin-like products of a high molecular weight are formed, which have found extensive use in from the aforementioned substances particularly easily, if the reaction takes place in the presence of certain acid, alkaline or saline reagents,which act as catalysts. According to the relative quantity of the constituents, temperature and other conditions of the reaction, either fusible amorphous masses, so called artificial shellacs, which are soluble in alcohol, or infusibleand in-- soluble products of condensation, s0 .Called bakelites, resinites, condensites and the like are formed. N

The technically valuable properties of these products are chiefly their great hardness and capacity of resisting atmospheric influence and chemical and mechanical action: These products however, possessco'mparatively little elasticity, arebrittle, and are easily shattered by impact or bending, so that the manufacture of various articles therefrom is rendered very diflicult.

It has now been found that, if, for the purpose of manufacturing condensation products of this type, formaldehyde or its polymers or equivalents for instance hexamethylene tetramin is allowed to react not with phenols but on mixtures of phenols and sulfo-c'ompounds possessing emulsify-' ing properties, for instance, sulfonated fats and oils, for example sulfonated castor oil, sulfonated cotton seed oil, sulfonatedsunflower seed oil, aromatic sulfo fatty acids, obtained by the action of concentrated sulfuric acid on a mixture of olein or various fatty oils with aromatic hydrocarbons, or the sulfo-acids obtalnedin any known manner from the sulfonation products of naphcertain condensation products are obtained of novel compositions, and properties and which, similar tothe bakelites, possess great hardness and capacity of resisting mechanical and chemical action, but, in contradistinction thereto, they possess a much higher degree of elasticity and therefore are not so easily fractured by impact when knocked, nor \so easily shattered when subjected to blows, and further they can be Very easily turned, carved, planed, and subjected to similar operations. y

The sulfonated oils and sulfo-acidsre quired for the process according to the invention, need not bemanufactured in a pure state from one'single material. On the contrary, mixtures of such sulfo-acids and the like, produced from different raw materials, may be employed.

They all combine chemically with the mixture of the phenols with. formaldehyde, and the properties of the condensation products may be varied within wide limits according to the proportions of the constituents and the conditions under which the reactions are carried out. For instance, when using" large quantities of phenols in relation to-the quantity of formaldehyde and sulfo-compounds, and a shorter heating period, easily fusible materials, which are, as a rule, soluble in alcohol, are obtained, whereas, when using large quantities of formaldehyde insoluble, infusible and very hard masses are obtained.

The sulfonated fats and oils to be used for this reaction are produced by treating the common fats and oils with varying quantities of concentrated sulfuric acid, 6. g. 66 B.; so for instance, when employing castor' oil, 100 parts by weight of the oil are mixed in thecold with 30 parts by weightof sulfuric acid, and the mixture is then washed with water and a solution of common salt, as in the manufacture of Turkey-red oil.

small quantities, favorably becomes heated up the sulfonated oils not only enter into the composition of theproducts but also act as catalysts during condensation? In this respect, particularly conspicuous are the abovementioned sulfo-acids, which are formed by the sulfonation' of the naphthahydrocarbons, .and the aromatic sulf o-fatty acids, which, as is well known, possess a great emulsifying and dissolving capacity. The presence of such sulfo-acids, even in affects the .process and causes the formation of homogeneous and perfect products. Further, much less aldehyde is necessary for. the manufacture of such products.

' Example I. 200 partsby weight of commercial carbolic acid are mixed -with 50 parts'of sulfonated' castor oil, 130 parts of 40% formalin and 200 parts of acidified water, acidulated for instance with sulfuric acid. The mixture is thoroughly stirred and heated until the commencement of the reaction. If, in con-- sequence of self-heating, the mixture begins to boil, and if a thick layer of oil is precipitated or deposited on the bottom, the

forms a. perfectly clear and practicallytcolon,

less solution. If a surface iscoated with such a solution, after evaporation of the alcohol, a shiny, firm and easily polished coating remains.

If in the aforementioned process, rela- 'tively large quantities of formaldehyde and sulfonatedcastor oil are used, and if the mixture is subjected to anenergetic and continuous heating, a very hard, infusible and insoluble product is obtained.

. Ewamplell. 4 A mixture of 200 parts by weight of sulfonat'ed castor oil acid, 98100%, parts of sulfo-acids, 70%, obtained by-sulfonation of the naphtha distillate of Vaseline oil and 120 partsbf' formaldehyde,- by continuous stirring, to- 60, ,a'nd after a certain time a rather violent ebullition takes place,

The mixture is allowed to stand undisturbed, until the boiling ceases, then it is of coagulating and forming a 200 parts of carbolic' ordinary temperature low, non-transparent, insoluble and infusible 30 material. Example I I I 30 grams of aromatic sulfo-fattyacids,

for instance in the form of the well known Twitchell reagent for splitting fats which according to the German Patent No. 114,491

cl. 23d is obtained by allowing concentrated sulfuric acid to act on a mixture of naphthalene with commerc l oleic acid in molecular 9o proportions, are mixed with 100 grams of 3 commercial carbolic acid and 50 grams of formalin, 40%, and the mixture is carefully heated to 3035. Already at this temperature reaction begins, which in consequence of self-heating is accompanied by a somewhat violent ebullition. A viscous 1 oily layer is precipitated. The liquid above is removed partly by pouring oif. and partly by evaporation. grams of water are removed from the mass, and the mass is cooled to 30 C., mixed with. a further 40 grams of formaldehyde and is allowed to stand in order to insure the escape of air-bubbles. be poured into forms and after standing and being heated at first to 75, then to 70 and may be transformed into the solid state. Finally about 190 grams of a completely-homogeneous, solid and elastic mass free from cracks and bubbles is obtained.

Evidently a part of the watercombines with the'final product of solidification, which accounts for the large escape of it in comparison with the materials taken for the reaction 1 5 of the materials.

Example IV. Sunflower seed oil is sulfonated. For this purpose it is heated with sulfuric acid 66 at the temperature of -25-30 C. For 5 parts by weight 11- parts of acid may be taken. The mixture .is allowed to stand during about 20. hours and is then washed by an equal volume of waterat the temperature of 40-45", the water is poured off and the oil is washed witha strong solution of salt.

50 grams of sulfonated sunflower-seed oil,

v100 grams of carbolic acid, 98100%, 10 grams of sulfo-acids', obtained by'sulfonatv15") escapeof air bub- 70 poured into forms and then during about half-- 5 Thus altogether about 40 100 The viscous mass may then 105 ing a raw naphtha 1 distillate, for instance Vaseline oil, sp. gr. 0.880, and 50 grains} of formaldehyde are stirredand heated to 50-55 after this the heating is stopped,- and the stirring is continued until the reaction takes place, which is accompanied by violent ebullition. When the ebullition has termi-- nated, the solution ,is again thoroughly stirred, allowed to stand and 40 grams of water are removed by decantation and evaporation as described in the previous example. Then, when the temperature has fallen to 40, a further 40 grams of'formaldehyde are added and when the mixture haskbecome 8 somewhat viscous itis poured into molds" and rape oil, be used. '1

product may be correspondingly varied.

In all cases the processes of formation of the insoluble solid products are more or less similar. Durin the ,firstphase a liquid oily product is formed, which when heated, becomes gradually more viscous'and is subsequently converted into an elastic resin or rubber-like mass and finally, into a om'-' pletely hard, infusible mass similar to bakelite. This conversion of the liquid product of condensation into a solid substance is effooted more rapidly the higher the temperature to which the product-is heated. At normal temperatures the hardening process is very slow, and in some cases is altogether suppressed. I

The semi-solid. resin or rubber-like intermediate product is plastic, when heated, further it maybe cut, and the separate pieces known manner, for instance by pressingv or heating the liquid condensationproduct in molds, and by subsequently heating to atemperature of 100to 200 C. or the like, and is converted into the hard and infusible final condensation product, which retains the form and shape of the intermediate prod- The liquid and resin like or rubber-like intermediate condensation. products easily are stances-andthe like.

mix with other substances, for instance, sand, sawdust, asbestos, fibers of cellular sub- When heate the final product in forming mixes most oroughly with these substances ,which serve as filling materials. By introducing thesefilling materials, it is possible to impart to the final products difl'erent physical properties.

Generally speaking, the method of'carrying the condensation process into efiectmay be Varied within the widest limits, depending upon the proportions of the raw mate rials and the character of the articles to be manufactured. l p

Similar products are also obtained by substituting for the formaldehyde its polymers, for. instance paraformaldehyde, and tri -oxymethyle'ne, as wellas hexa-methylene tetramin, and other substances containing ac- Y tive methylene groups and the term'formaldehyde as employed in the claims includes such known alternatives.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inventionand in what manner the same is to be performed, Ideclare that what I claim is 1. A process for the production of a composition of matter comprisin 'causingtojreact together a phenol, forma dehyde and a sulfo compound possessing emulsifying prop.- erties. V f

2. A process for the production of a composition of matter comprising c'ausingto re- 'act together a phenol,'an active methylene group containing compound and a mixture of sulf6 compounds possessing emulsifying properties, I

3. A process for the production of a com position of; matter comprising causing to react together a phenol, an active, methylene 4 goup containing compound and a sulfonated 4:. Acp'rocess for the prod uctiono' f a composition of'matter comprising causing to react together a phenol, formaldehyde and a 'sulfonated' fatty oil. maybe fused together, etc. Itmay-be given v the desired and shape inpany suitable 5. A process for the production of a coniposition of matter comprising causing to react together a pheno1,'formaldehyde, a sulfonated fatty oil and sulfo-acids obtained .by-sulfonating mineral oils B..LIssnFF-, 

